New manual drivers, do you enjoy it?
Posted by RipSpiritAirlines@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 46 comments
I started driving manual recently and I have a love hate relationship with it. I come off a stop light very slow, but I have so much fun driving it hard. When I was first learning I was full of regret in terms of buying the car, but now I have an extra car and the choice of driving manual!
AlternativeUnfair388@reddit
I like manuals. I drive a 10sp daily. Id prefer a manual over auto for long distance but autos are nice for in town.
RealFlatworm-@reddit
Sounds miserable
AlternativeUnfair388@reddit
Not really. I like it actually
RealFlatworm-@reddit
Crazy
AlternativeUnfair388@reddit
Well, it pays well. I dont go far. 50-200mi a day. Beats when I was doing 600+
RealFlatworm-@reddit
So a truck
AlternativeUnfair388@reddit
Yes
RealFlatworm-@reddit
Not a daily
AlternativeUnfair388@reddit
Well. Not in the traditional sense
CreamyImp@reddit
I hate going from 1st to 2nd gear on my car. (2026 WRX) other than that it’s very fun.
Jolrit@reddit
I have a 25 WRX and a 25 Integra Type S. Both 6 speed sticks. The Integra’s shifter is acclaimed to be one of the best if not the best shifters made. My WRX has the STI shifter and a weighted knob. If the WRX shifter is almost as good as the Type S shifter.
RipSpiritAirlines@reddit (OP)
The new body style has been controversial, but I’ve seen my neighbor make his look beautiful! How are you liking the new wrx in general?
Rare_Floor2293@reddit
“Body style” doesn’t mean design. It means the type of automobile, like pickup truck, minivan, or sedan.
CreamyImp@reddit
I actually like the body style tbh, obviously it’s no bugeye or Hawkeye but I think it’s a decent, modern design. The black cladding doesn’t bother me as I got it in crystal black silica paint. The stock spoiler needs to go imo. I can’t speak too much to the drivetrain, I’m still in the break in period so I haven’t exceeded 4k rpm yet.
RipSpiritAirlines@reddit (OP)
Yeah if the car is black then no problem w the cladding. Just gotta wait for more aftermarket parts to come out, maybe there’ll be something for the spoiler soon enough
CreamyImp@reddit
There are some options, a couple STI style spoilers and some split duckbill styles. I’m personally of the opinion that STI style spoilers don’t look great on the VB chassis. So I’m looking for a duckbill, preferably one that is held on with more than 3M tape. I just got the car last month, so I’ve got a long road ahead to make it my own. To sum up your point though, I’m very satisfied with the car. It’s a great platform for customization, and the AWD will come in handy in the Michigan winters.
RipSpiritAirlines@reddit (OP)
Solid choice given your location! I’ve heard the roads there are horrible. Just make sure take care of your new ride and enjoy it to the fullest! (After the break-in period of course)
Jackfruitgandy@reddit
You might want to try to delete the clutch delay valve. I did it in my GTI and it made a huge diff and I've read it also helps wrx:
https://www.reddit.com/r/wrx_vb/s/gf7b13gNh5
It might be a tad risky, but I think it's worth it.
CreamyImp@reddit
I’ve read about this too. I was going to start with a shift stop and see how it goes from there, might look into the valve delete if I’m not satisfied after. Since it’s currently bone stock and under warranty I’m not planning to get too crazy with it yet.
Rough_Cancel7265@reddit
Personally I never enjoyed it. Owned 3, don't care to own another. Even as a fun car.
WizeAdz@reddit
I learned to drive on a manual as a new driver a bit over 30 years ago now. I’m very proud of my hard/earned manual transmission driving skills.
It’s fun and makes you connected to the car. Driving an automatic was very uncomfortable for me for a long time — until powertrain programming got good some time in the early 2000s.
But manual transmissions are obsolete in the era of EVs and CVTs. The only reason to drive them is for old-school fun — but manual transmissions don’t solve a problem that modern cars have anymore, especially for EVs that don’t have or need a transmission (most EVs use a fixed reduction gear).
There’s no rule that says you have to enjoy driving a manual transmission car — and the only reason to drive an obsolete setup like this is because you personally find it fun. I certainly enjoyed manuals back when they were better when I was driving MY1980s and MY1990s cars in the 1990s and 2000s. I grudgingly changed up for practical-family reasons when I was driving early-2000s cars after 2010 and conceded that they were a good fit for the task. Now I’m driving a MY2023 EV in 2026, and I’m leaving that whole engine-transmission thing in the dust. You don’t have to drive a manual transmission car if you don’t want to. Given the automotive provides we’ve see over the last 40 model-years, the only reason to drive a manual transmission car in 2026 is because you personally want to.
It is satisfying to have the level of mastery over a vehicle required to replace the powertrain control computer with your brain. I appreciate that. I’d love for my hard-won manual-driving skills to matter - but it’s an obsolete art. Some people enjoy perfecting obsolete arts. You can be one of those people, or not. No pressure.
RipSpiritAirlines@reddit (OP)
I feel like that’s the reason I bought it. I’ve seen so many people find so much joy in manuals and I’ve been itching to see the hype and of course it’s very satisfying when I go out for spirited drives. Commuting to work in a manual can be cumbersome for many, but it’s not too bad for me. I wanted to pick up a new skill and this has taught me to be more attentive on the road and learn how to become one with the car.
zerovampire311@reddit
I’m at a point where I don’t even think that much about the shifting, but it’s that connected feeling I miss every time I drive auto. I’ve owned three auto cars (out of about 10), and they were fine but it felt like I was more distracted.
tads73@reddit
I do, I can control both speed and power with the clutch. Also, manuals cars last longer
nightmareFluffy@reddit
I hate driving manual. Mostly because I live in a city. I had two manual cars because everyone on the internet said that they're awesome. I got the first one and drove it for years. I didn't enjoy it, so I thought it must be the car. So my second manual was a Porsche 911. No excuses at that point, right? I still hated manual.
I switched to dual clutch automatic and I've never been happier with the transmission. It's awesome. While most people who can drive manual enjoy using the clutch, I've always found it to be an extra step. And with dual clutch (or even a slushbox automatic with manual gear changing), you can shift down and get those high revs anyway.
Traditional_Cat495@reddit
I think manual driving is like learning a game on hard mode at fist, then suddenly one day it just clicks.
First-Length6323@reddit
Not new (about 15 years into it) but I love it so much im unable to replace my current vehicle because there are no more manual awd two door coupes left.
RipSpiritAirlines@reddit (OP)
I feel like the manual e9Xs are the best modern manual awd cars, but def needs a lot of work. Would love a manual awd n54
First-Length6323@reddit
My N55 is awesome. 435
RipSpiritAirlines@reddit (OP)
I did not know those came in manuals! Might have to look into that in the future for sure
First-Length6323@reddit
Supposedly the 440 has two or four years of manual but ive never seen one either...
RipSpiritAirlines@reddit (OP)
Yes those exist as well! My original goal was to buy a manual 440 xdrive. I have a buddy with a manual 340 xdrive and that car is sick. One of these days I’ll pick up a bmw
First-Length6323@reddit
Yeah, good luck finding one lol.
RipSpiritAirlines@reddit (OP)
Just gotta time it right. Keep an eye out and be ready and you may stumble across one. I was causally looking for manual g37s and found a sedan and instantly purchased it. It was well kept and a no brainer as the manual g37 sedans are hard to come across
icaaryal@reddit
I like MY manual (26 Nissan Z) because it does the rev-matching and blipping automatically when I gate into the desired gear. I could turn that off and learn it for real, but I likely won’t. I like that it will save me wear and tear on the clutch. I like being able to skip gears neatly and easily. I like the added control and engagement. It’s my first manual that I’ve owned and prior to it, I had less than 2 hrs of manual driving experience. I’d argue every modern manual should have the option now.
RipSpiritAirlines@reddit (OP)
Auto rev match is cool, and I would love to see how it would be to daily it. It’s good to learn how to rev match without the assist only in the scenario where you’re forced to drive an older manual with no assists. Me being able to, my friend let me drive his manual 335 which was a blast. It’s scary learning how to do it, and the excessive clutch wear isn’t the end of the world as it’s a wear and tear item.
135is@reddit
Take it slow it’s suck to miss shift when driving hard. The coming off a stop slow will get easier as time goes on.
It’s very fun i bought a e90 328i manual to learn about a year ago and it’s the most fun car I’ve ever had In a car and I’ve had cars with 3x the hp.
RipSpiritAirlines@reddit (OP)
Yeah I almost mis-shifted once but I just didn’t let off the clutch and put it into the right gear. E90s are sick! I would love one father down the line
135is@reddit
Yeah I really only bought it to learn manual but I ended up really liking it so it’s my daily now. I could never get a n54 thought my n55 is a nightmare so I can’t even imagine the n54.
I seen your comment about getting a g37. Those are pretty nice,and very solid cars. A g37x was my first car. I’ve had 3 vq37s and the car I mentioned with triple the hp was a supercharged 370z. Vq37s are so reliable and just take the abuse. Good choice
RipSpiritAirlines@reddit (OP)
The n54 does seem like it’s a pain but let’s see. N55s from what I heard are the best sounding inline 6s. Bmws require lots of care and they’ll treat you accordingly. Japanese cars just live forever no matter how much you abuse them.
I’m itching to supercharge my g, but at the same time I wanna keep it stock and off the radar as they have a bad reputation. I’m thinking abt a bmw in the future as my fast car.
Effective-Sail-1225@reddit
Im pretty new. Yes I do enjoy it. Its been about a year now and I am enjoying it more and more as I get better at it. The first time that I suddenly had to brake and I actually remembered to clutch in and down shift down shift as I whipped around the bad driver was a pretty cool feeling.
RipSpiritAirlines@reddit (OP)
Yeah it feels so sick hitting that perfect downshift
scream4cheese@reddit
I’m interested in getting a manual. What did you get?
RipSpiritAirlines@reddit (OP)
I ended up buying a g37s sedan. It was well taken care of and it was about 7k. Best car I can think of in the price range. If I didn’t buy this I probably would’ve gone for a cheap manual Honda to learn on
vilius_m_lt@reddit
Yes
itsmesorox@reddit
It's just reality for me. I don't think much of it